1、The Literature of Colonial America,Historical Introduction,1. colonial settlement(1607-1776) In 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered America and he mistook the native people on the new continent for Indians.2. character of colonial literature content: religious, political form: diary, journal, lett
2、ers, travel books, sermons, history (personal literature) style: simple. direct, concise out of humble origins,The first American writer,Captain John Smith The General History of Virginia,Early New England Literature,1. New England: six states in North-east of America: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont(
3、佛蒙特), Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut.2.William BradfordThe History of Plymouth PlantationJohn WinthropThe History of New England,Puritan Thoughts,1.Gods chosen peopleThey were meant to reestablish a commonwealth, based on the teachings of the Bible, restore the lost paradise and build the
4、wilderness into a new Garden of Eden.2. John Calvina. predestinationb. original sin and total depravityc. the salvation of a selected few,3. practical , optimistic， idealistic 4. a doctrinaire opportunist(教条主义的机会主义者) 5. American Puritans came under violent attacks for their killjoy way of life, reli
5、gious intolerance（宗教偏狭） , bigotry（偏执）and austerity（苦修、禁欲）. 6. American Puritanism and Chinese Confucianism 7. Jonathan Edwards , Benjamin Franklin John Cotton and Roger WilliamsAnne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor,the Influence of Puritanism to American Literature,The optimistic Puritan has exerted a g
6、reat influence on American literature. The American Puritans metaphorical mode of perception was chiefly important in calling into being a literary symbolism which is distinctly American. With regard to technique one naturally thinks of the simplicity which characterizes the Puritan style of writing
7、.,Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790),Man of Action,Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790),A. Status: one of the greatest founding fathers of the American Nation a rare genius in human history Jack of all trades: essayist, autobiographical writer, printer, scientist, postmaster, almanac maker, orator, statesman, p
8、hilosopher, political economist, ambassador, almost everything,B. Life and Career (Early Years): 1. Calvinist background in Boston 2.Candle-makers family “poor and obscure” 3.Little formal education Self-taught and self-made 4.Apprentice to his half brother A runaway boy from Boston to Philadelphia
9、to make his own fortune 5.A successful printer who retired at 42,6. He founded the Pennsylvania Hospital, the University of Pennsylvania, the American Philosophical Society（美国哲学学会）, a subscription library（订阅图书馆）. 7. He invented a musical instrument called glass harmonica, the effective street lighti
10、ng, the Franklin stove, bifocal glasses（双光眼镜）, efficient heating system, and lightning-rod（避雷针） for which he was praised as “the new Prometheus who had stolen fire from heaven”.,8. A member of the Pennsylvania Assembly（议会） The Deputy Postmaster-General （邮政大臣）for the colonies Representative of the co
11、lonies in London for 18 years; Minister to France; Minister to Sweden A delegate to the Continental Congress（美国国会） 9. Member of the Committee of Five to draft the Declaration of Independence 10. A member to draft the documents that created the United States: the Declaration of Independence, the trea
12、ty of alliance with France, the constitution（宪法）.,C. His Major Writings: Poor Richards Almanac 1. Time: almost a quarter of century 2. Content: Literary pieces such as poems and essays, a good many adages（格言）, common sense witticisms（妙语、俏皮话） 3. Sources: he borrowed them from famous writers such as,
13、Defoe, Swift and Pope and tried to simplify these quotations 4. Examples: Famous sayings such as “Lost time is never found again”, “God help them that help themselves”, “Fish and visitors stink in three days”（客人和鱼一样做久了就臭了）, etc 5. Function: practical, instructive, and amusing,The Autobiography of Be
14、njamin Franklin 1. Nature: Probably the first of its kind in literature. A simple yet fascinating record of a mans success. A faithful account of the colorful career of Americas first self-made man. 2. Structure: The book consists of four parts, written at different times. Franklin was 65 when he be
15、gan to write. 3. Content: (a) Puritanism: It is first of all a Puritan document, a record of self-examination and self-improvement . (b) Enlightenment: It embodies the new order of the 18th century Enlightenment. (Order and Moderation节制),4. Style: This work is written in the pattern of Puritan simpl
16、icity, directness, and concision. The most salient features are such as the plainness of its style, the homeliness（朴实） of imagery, the simplicity of diction, syntax, and expression. 5. Tone: OptimismThe American dream began with the settlement of the American continent the promised land the Garden o
17、f Eden optimistic about the future,The Literature of Reason and Revolution,Thomas Paine 1737-1809,Common Sense American Crisis Rights of Man The Age of Reason,Thomas Paine,Born in Britain, January 29 1737Self taughtImmigrated to America 1774Involved in American political life,“I offer nothing more t
18、han simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense,” Argued strongly for COMPLETE American Independence, Not just freedom from British Taxation,Thomas Jefferson 1743-1826,The Declaration of Independence,Major events,1. main writer of The Declaration of Independence 2. writer of the law for religiou
19、s freedom in Virginiafounder of Virginia University the third president of Americapurchase Louisiana,Philip Freneau 1752-1832,“Father of American Poetry”, He is the most important poet in the 18th century. He was entitled “Father of American Poetry”. He was called “The poet of the Revolution” He was
20、 born in New York and graduated from Princeton University. He wrote lots of poems supporting American Revolution and human liberty. He was the most notable representative of dawning American nationalism in literature.,Fair flower, that dost so comely grow, Hid in this silent,dull retreat, Untouched
21、thy honeyed blossoms blow, Unseen thy little branches greet: No roving foot shall crush thee here, No busy hand provoke a tear.,美好的花呀，你长得：这么秀丽， 却藏身在这僻静沉闷的地方 甜美的花儿开了却没人亲昵， 招展的小小枝梢也没人观赏； 没游来荡去的脚来把你踩碎， 没东攀西摘的手来催你落泪。,Appreciation of The Wild Honeysuckle,By Natures self in white arrayed, She bade thee sh
22、un the vulger eye, And planted here the guardian shade, And sent soft waters murmuring by; Thus quietly thy summer goes, Thy days declining to repose.,大自然把你打扮得一身洁白， 她叫你避开庸俗粗鄙的目光， 她布置下树荫把你护卫起来， 又让潺潺的柔波淌过你身旁； 你的夏天就这样静静地消逝， 这时候你日见萎蔫终将安息。,Smit with those charms,that must decay, I grieve to see your futu
23、re doom; They died-nor were those flowers more gay, The flowers that did in Eden bloom; Unpitying frosts,and Autumns power Shall leave no vestige of this flower.,那些难免消逝的美使我销魂， 想起你未来的结局我就心疼， 别的那些花儿也不比你幸运 虽开放在伊甸园中也已凋零， 无情的寒霜再加秋风的威力， 会叫这花朵消失得一无踪迹。,From morning suns and evening dews At first thy little
24、being came: If nothing once,you nothing lose, For when you die you are the same; The space between,is but an hour, The frail duration of flower.,朝阳和晚露当初曾把你养育， 让你这小小的生命来到世上， 原来若乌有，就没什么可失去， 因为你的死让你同先前一样； 这来去之间不过是一个钟点 这就是脆弱的花享有的天年。,The Wild Honey Suckle,The poem is an indication of the poets dedication
25、 to American subject matter and the natural scenes on the new continent. Here in this poem Freneau deals with the themes of loveliness and the transience of life. This poem, well within the melancholy genre, consists of the poets pensive musings on the flowers story.,The first two stanzas picture th
26、e advantages of the flowers country retreat. The next two stanzas unite the theme of the seasons with the thought that all must die. Death and decay, as well as creation, are so common, so much a part of the universal law.,陆游卜算子咏梅,驿外断桥边，寂寞开无主。已是黄昏独自愁，更著风和雨。 无意苦争春，一任群芳妒。零落成泥碾作尘，只有香如故。,American Romant
27、icism Irving * Cooper,I. American Romanticism 1. Intellectual Background The Romantic period stretches from the end of the 18th century through the outbreak of the Civil War. Politically: Democracy and political equality became the ideal of the nation; and the two-party political system was in the m
28、aking.,Economically: The spread of industrialism, the sudden influx of immigrants, and the pioneers pushing the frontier further west lead to an economic boom. Literarily: The new nation cried for newer literary expressions; magazines appeared in big numbers such as The American Quarterly Review, Th
29、e Southern Review, The Atlantic Monthly, and Harpers Magazine, facilitating literary expansion in this new country.,2. Foreign Influence (Derivative and Imitative) The Romantic movement, which had flourished earlier in the century both in England and Europe, proved to be a decisive influence without
30、 which the upsurge of American romanticism would hardly have been possible. The British romantic writers such as William Wordsworth, Taylor Coleridge, Byron, Robert Burns, Shelley and Sir Walter Scott exerted a great influence upon their American brothers. The British Romantic literary pieces such a
31、s Lyrical Ballads (1798) by Wordsworth and Coleridge and Walter Scotts border tales were esp. prevalent in America. (Scotts Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, The Lady of the Lake, Waverley ),3. Native Factors (Different and Distinctive) Although the foreign influences were strong, American Romanticism exhibited fro
32、m the very outset distinct features of its English and European counterpart. American romanticism was in essence the expression of “a real new experience” and “a new sensibility”: new place; new faces; new sight, smells, and sounds; new cultural factor (American Indians).,American Puritanism as a cu
33、ltural heritage rendered American moral values basically puritan. Public atmosphere of the nation predominantly conditioned social life, cultural taste, and literary expression. One of its obvious manifestations is the fact that American Romantic writers tended more to moralize and use symbols than
34、their English and European brothers. As a logical result of the foreign and native factors at work, American Romanticism was both imitative and distinctive, both derivative and independent.,II. Washington Irving (1783-1859) 1. Literary StatusFather of American literatureThe first professional Americ
35、an writerThe first American Romantic writerThe first American short story writerThe first American imaginative writer to be recognized by the Europeans,2. Life Born into a wealthy New York merchant family Read widely from very early age studied law Cared for his family business in EnglandWent bankru
36、pt wrote to support himself,3. His Works: A History of New York (1809)纽约外史 The Sketch Book (1819-20) 见闻札记 The History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus (1828) The Alhambra (1832) 阿尔罕伯拉 Life of Goldsmith, Life of Washington The short story as a genre in American literature probably bega
37、n with Irvings The Sketch Book, a collection of essays, sketches, and tales, of which the most famous and frequently anthologized are “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”.,4. Division of his writings: Irvings career can be roughly divided into two important phases, the English period w
38、hich span from his first book up to 1832 and the American period stretching over the remaining years of his life.,5. Writing Style Irvings style can only be described as beautiful though imitative. A. Irving avoids moralizing as much as possible: he wrote to amuse and entertain. B. He was good at en
39、veloping his stories in a rich atmosphere, which is often more than compensation for the slimness of plot.C. His characters are vivid and true so that they tend to linger in the mind of the reader. D. He was such a humorous writer that it is difficult not to smile and occasionally even chuckle. E. H
40、is language was finished and musical.,6. His Masterpieces “Rip Van Winkle” got suggestions from a German source. Irving changed the setting of the original and added conflicts of his own to make it American. It is a fantasy tale about a man who somehow stepped outside the main stream of life.Rip Van
41、 Winkle is a simple, good-natured, and hen-pecked(妻管严的) man. He does everything except take care of his own farm and family. He helps everyone except his wife and his own folks. So he is welcome everywhere except at home. “He is one of those happy mortals, who take the world easy, eat white bread or
42、 brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble, and would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound.”,Plot Summery of “Rip Van Winkle”,The story of Rip Van Winkle is set in the years before and after the American Revolutionary War. Rip Van Winkle, a villager of Dutch descent, lives
43、in a nice village at the foot of New Yorks Catskill Mountains. An amiable man whose home and farm suffer from his lazy neglect, he is loved by all but his wife. One autumn day he escapes his nagging wife by wandering up the mountains. After encountering strangely dressed men, rumored to be the ghost
44、s of Henry Hudsons crew, who are playing nine-pin（九柱球戏）, and after drinking some of their liquor, he settles down under a shady tree and falls asleep.,He wakes up twenty years later and returns to his village. He finds out that his wife is dead and his close friends have died in a war or gone somewh
45、ere else. He immediately gets into trouble when he hails himself a loyal subject of King George III, not knowing that in the meantime the American Revolution has taken place. An old local recognizes him, however, and Rips now grown daughter eventually puts him up. As Rip resumes his habit of idlenes
46、s in the village, and his tale is solemnly believed by the old Dutch settlers, certain hen-pecked husbands especially wish they shared Rips luck.,“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” narrates the memorable event of an apparently headless horseman throwing his head at his rival in love, and the memorable ch
47、aracter of Ichabod（伊卡博德）. The story is set about 1790 in the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town，New York，in a secluded glen called Sleepy Hollow. It tells the story of Ichabod Crane, a lean, lanky（瘦长的）, and extremely superstitious schoolmaster from Connecticut who competes with Abraham “Brom Bones“ Van
48、Brunt, the town rowdy（粗暴的人）, for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and sole child of a wealthy farmer.,Plot Summery of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”,As Crane leaves a party he attended at the Van Tassel home on an autumn night, he is pursued by the Headless Horseman，who is sup
49、posedly the ghost of a Hessian trooper（黑森雇佣兵） who had his head shot off by a stray cannonball during “some nameless battle“ of the American Revolution War, and who “rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head“. Ichabod mysteriously disappears from town, leaving Katrina to marry B
50、rom Bones, who was “to look exceedingly knowing whenever the story of Ichabod was related“.,III. James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) 1. Literary Status: The first American Frontier novel The first American Sea novel The first American Spy Novel The first American Historical Novel His Leatherstocking Tales as the American National Epic,
